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Are_grits_groceries

Are_grits_groceries's Journal
Are_grits_groceries's Journal
August 20, 2013

The Donald has tweeted some relationship advice for Steve Jobs widow:

@realDonaldTrump: So, lets get this right. Steve Jobs dies and leaves his wife everything-billions of dollars. Now his wife has a boyfriend (lover). Oh Steve!

What a maroon! Was staying faithful to his money in their vows?

August 20, 2013

South Carolina GROUP SEEKS “MISSING” US SENATOR


Today, Carolina Conservatives United is formally asking South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to issue a statewide “Silver Alert” in the hopes that we can find Lindsey Graham.

“Lindsey Graham has not been seen in the state of South Carolina for most of the last two years,” said Bruce Carroll, Chairman of CCU. “In addition, Graham isn’t holding any town hall meetings during the August recess. Finally, his behavior on television has been disturbing, erratic and devoid of any consistent conservative principles. We are truly concerned that he may be in need of help.”

“It is imperative that we find Lindsey Graham and bring him home. He is suffering from Potomac Fever and has definitely lost his way,” said Breeanne Howe, board member of Carolina Conservatives United.

To assist with this efforts, CCU has produced the attached photo which it encourages everyone to distribute via Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
http://www.fitsnews.com/2013/08/19/group-seeks-missing-senator

They gone get Goober.
He has been on their hit list for years. The only reason he's still in office is his election cycle. When he was re-elected in 2008, the Tea Party hadn't gotten rolling. It's a different story in 2014.

Graham has oodles of money. The Tea Party has pure passionate hate. Graham's money can't buy the turnout to match that of the wingnuts. It may be one of their last major moves until they morph into some other nasty form.

Stay tuned.......
August 19, 2013

More than 20,000 Syrian refugees cross into Iraq: U.N. (Video clip of refugees)


GENEVA - More than 20,000 Syrian refugees have entered northern Iraq since Thursday in one of the largest crossings in the more than two-year-old conflict and the influx is continuing, the United Nations said on Monday.

Syrians began pouring into the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq last Thursday, taking advantage of a new bridge along the largely closed border, the U.N. says.

"It looks like the total from last Thursday to now is somewhere in the region of 20,000 or more coming across," Adrian Edwards of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said. "If not the biggest influx across the border at a single time then it is among the largest in the whole Syria crisis."

Hundreds of Syrians fleeing fighting in Aleppo and other parts of northern Syria were massed along the Tigris River on Monday near the pontoon crossing, UNHCR staff said.
http://preview.reuters.com/2013/8/19/more-than-20000-syrian-refugees-cross-into-iraq-1

I can't even imagine......
August 18, 2013

BOOM! Russian Runners Share Kiss On Winner's Podium

Kseniya Ryzhova and Tatyana Firova joined an ever-growing list of athletes to extend a middle finger at the bigoted law Russia recently passed with this kiss after winning gold in the women's 4x400 relay at the World Athletics Championships.
http://deadspin.com/russian-runners-share-kiss-on-winners-podium-1162781984

Gutsy!!!

August 18, 2013

We’ve doused the world in pesticides. Is that a problem?

Pesticides have become an enduring feature of modern life. In 2007, the world used more than 5.2 billion pounds of weed killers, insecticides, and fungicides to do everything from protecting crops to warding off malaria.
But that’s also led many researchers to wonder what sorts of broader impacts all these chemicals are having. The latest issue of Science includes a fascinating special section devoted to the world’s pesticide use. I’ll pull out a few good charts and highlights of interest:

1) Pesticide use is on the rise almost everywhere, with some key exceptions:

Note that pesticide sales in North America haven’t grown very much — and use is actually declining in the United States (more on that below). The growth in Europe, meanwhile, is largely driven by a big uptick in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, sales are basically stagnant in the Middle East and Africa.


2) There’s a surprisingly large variation in how farmers in different countries use pesticides:

Of the 2.4 billion kilograms of pesticides used in 2007, the United States accounted for about 20 percent of the total. But notice that American farmers are relatively sparing in their use of pesticides — using just 2.2 kilograms per hectare of arable land. Compare that with China, where farmers are “less trained” and the figure is more like 10.3 kilograms per hectare.
Of course, the skill level of farmers is just one variable here. Pesticide use is also particularly high in countries with “valuable crops where pest pressures are high, including Colombian coffee and Dutch tulips.” And use is low in Africa largely because of the high cost.
<snip>

4) And insecticides have been invaluable in controlling malaria.

One recent study estimated that the growing use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets prevented the deaths of some 842,800 children between 2001 and 2010. The catch? “Insecticide resistance in the mosquito threatens those gains,” the Science issue notes.
<snip>

7) Scientists are developing all sorts of complex ways to reduce the world’s dependence on pesticides, though sometimes simpler solutions work pretty well.

The chart above shows how overall pesticide use in the United States has declined 0.6 percent each year between 1980 and 2007. And it’s dropped even faster in corn fields — in part because of the widespread use of Bt corn, a genetically modified breed of corn that’s supposed to be toxic to pests. One hitch? There’s now some evidence that certain pests are becoming resistant to the Bt corn, especially in areas where it’s used heavily. That could lead to a resurgence in pesticide use.

Or perhaps researchers will come up with new strategies. The Science issue outlines on some of the other clever ideas in the works: “New synthetic chemicals to protect crops hold the promise of stronger and more specific protection with less collateral damage. And some crops won’t need pesticides at all: Scientists are developing plants whose immune systems can ward off fungal, bacterial, or viral diseases, and they are using RNA interference to help plants fight insects—a new technology that could hit the market before the decade ends.”

Then again, sometimes low-tech ideas work pretty well too. One piece points out that a soap-opera-led campaign in Vietnam helped convince local rice farmers not to overuse pesticides. And in Australia, farmers are now using non-chemical control techniques, such as burning seeds, to control a massive weed problem that was brought on, in part, by herbicide overuse.
<snip>
More charts and info: http://wapo.st/18DCo7n

A lot of damage has been done and cannot be reversed. In addition, new methods are going to run into the 'The Law Of Unintended Consequences.'







August 18, 2013

Why would you rather see two men holding guns than....


@Historical_Pics

Ha!
August 17, 2013

This minister really ruined a wedding photo:


@History_Pics

Heh...
August 17, 2013

A hospital helps an elderly lady during her last days:


@Powerful_Pics:
A hospital allowed this lady's cat to visit her during her last days.

sigh........
August 17, 2013

2 minutes of mindless fun for a Saturday:



Aw Mommmm!

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